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Meerkats/Main article
Meerkats are creatures that appear in The Lion King films and franchise. The most significant meerkat in The Lion King universe is Timon. In the Real World An alternate name for the meerkat (Suricata suricatta) is suricate. They are part of the mongoose family. A group of meerkats is called a "mob," "gang," or "clan." A meerkat colony often contains about twenty members, but some super-families have been recorded to have over fifty members. They live in large underground networks with multiple entrances, which they leave only during the day. Adults weigh two to five pounds and can stand twelve inches high on their hind legs. Like all mongooses, they are agile hunters; however, they are noticeably different from most of their relatives. Unlike the typical mongoose, of which there are around thirty-five different types, meerkats live and work in communities of up to forty members and depend on each another for survival. There is one dominant male and one dominant female in each colony (which are usually a breeding pair), both of which are extremely territorial and won't tolerate competition from foreign meerkats or domestic ones. Meerkats forage in a group with one "sentry" on guard watching for predators while the others search for food. Sentry duty usually lasts an hour long. The meerkat standing guard makes peeping sounds when all is well. If the meerkat spots danger, it barks loudly or whistles. It is also the first to reappear from the burrow and search for predators after the danger is passed. It constantly barks to keep the others underground if it thinks there's still danger. If there is no threat, the sentry stops signaling and the others feel safe to emerge. Members of the same colony often groom each other in order to strengthen social bonds. The alpha pair often scent-mark lesser meerkats of the group to express their authority, and in return, the meerkats groom their alphas. This behavior is also practiced when group members are reunited after a short period apart. Most meerkats in a group are siblings or offspring of the alpha pair. Meerkats commonly feed on insects, but will occasionally feed on eggs, snakes, plants, and spiders. They have no excess body fat, so hunting for food is a daily need. A meerkat group may die out because of predator attack, its alpha pair being unable to breed, starvation, or disease. Meerkats have an average life span of twelve to fourteen years. In The Lion King " sequence]] A group of meerkats appear in the "Circle of Life" sequence, but have little significance to the story. These meerkats look and act more realistically than any other meerkat who appears in the films. Later in the story, after Mufasa's death, Simba flees into the desert and passes out under the hot sun. Timon, a comedic meerkat, and his warthog friend, Pumbaa, take him to their jungle oasis and revive him under the shade. They claim to be outcasts, but viewers don't discover the real reason for this until The Lion King 1½. They teach Simba their philosophy, "Hakuna Matata," and take him in as their own. Years go by, and the young lion grows up with Timon and Pumbaa in the jungle. But one day, after Simba has grown into a young adult, his childhood friend, Nala, comes to the jungle and convinces him to go back to Pride Rock and take his place as king. At first, Timon is against the idea, but he eventually gives in and helps Simba win back the Pride Lands. He is seen at the end of the movie on top of Pride Rock with Simba, Nala, and Pumbaa. In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride Timon is the only meerkat to appear in Simba's Pride. His fur is noticeably darker, perhaps due to aging, but no other changes have occurred in him, either physically or personality-wise. Timon is at the top of Pride Rock during Kiara's presentation and later serves as her babysitter. He is seen throughout the movie, but is of little significance. He appears in the battle at the film's climax, in which he fights with the Pridelanders. After the battle is over, and the Outsiders have joined Simba, Timon and the rest of the Pridelanders return to Pride Rock. At Kovu and Kiara's assumed mate ship ceremony, he and Pumbaa emotionally burst into tears. In The Lion King 1½ Meerkats are a much more prominent species in The Lion King 1½. In the beginning of the film, Timon's Meerkat Colony is introduced. They live in a network of tunnels miles away from Pride Rock, and are in constant fear of being eaten by hyenas. Towards the start of the movie, the colony sings "Digga Tunnah," a song that is a sole representation of the meerkats' lifestyle. But in the midst of their chant, Timon accidentally collapses the tunnel. The meerkats are annoyed and angry, mostly because this isn't the first time. Timon expresses to his mother that he doesn't fit in with the other meerkats, and that all they ever did was "dig so they can hide, and hide so they can dig" (real meerkats do much, much more). Ma points out to Timon that the world beyond their colony belonged to someone else. Uncle Max jumps in and openly insults their species. Shortly after this, Ma volunteers Timon for sentry duty. But after he fails to warn the colony of a hyena attack,(although meerkats are not really hunted by them) he is once again shunned by his fellow meerkats. Dejected and out of place, Timon finally decides to leave the colony in search of a new home. He eventually runs into Pumbaa, a warthog who is an outcast because of his extreme flatulence. The two become fast friends, though Timon is hesitant to accept Pumbaa. They move from place to place in search of the perfect home, until they finally settle in the jungle oasis. The two eventually find Simba passed out in the desert and take him in as their own. Though they have trouble raising him, Timon and Pumbaa eventually form a strong bond with the young cub. As Simba grows into a teen, he can beat Timon in a grub-eating contest, of which he is very proud. Upon Simba reaching adulthood, the scenes played out in The Lion King are repeated. Nala comes to the jungle and convinces Simba to return to the Pride Lands. Timon, afraid of losing his friend, tries to keep the two from falling in love. When this initially fails, Simba goes back to Pride Rock, and Nala and Pumbaa go after him in an attempt to help him regain his kingdom. At first, Timon denies helping Simba, but then he gives in and goes after his lion friend. As the group files into Pride Rock, Timon and Pumbaa provide a distraction for the hyenas. After chasing them away, Timon and Pumbaa run into Ma and Uncle Max, who have dug their way to Pride Rock in order to find Timon. The meerkats reunite and Timon introduces his mother and uncle to Pumbaa. The meerkats decide to help Timon in creating a distraction for the hyenas. As Timon and Pumbaa lure the hyenas into Pride Rock's inner cave, Ma and Uncle Max dig a trap tunnel underneath them. When the trap tunnel initially fails, Timon jumps in and finishes it, causing the hyenas to fall through the hole and down to the bottom of Pride Rock. After the battle is won, Timon and his family watch Simba ascend the throne and roar over his new kingdom. When Simba is crowned king, Timon decides to help his colony find a better home and lifestyle. He takes his colony to the jungle oasis, where it is assumed they make their new home. Though Timon doesn't stay there, his colony is now safe from hyenas and are living a much more carefree lifestyle. In real life, no meerkat would go into a jungle, predator free or not, because they are more than smart enough to know that there are many more dangers facing them in an unknown environment. Meerkats in the Franchise * Mabu is Timon's nephew from the story Mabu's Mischief * Mishka is Timon's niece from the story Mabu's Mischief * Monty is Timon's oldest nephew from the story Mabu's Mischief * Timon's Father was a deleted character from The Lion King 1½ * Lulu (meerkat) is a Blond female meerkat from the comic Lulu * Iron Joe is a male Meerkat from The Lion King 1½ * Tesma is a deleted relative of Timon * Tatiana and Kataka are two female meerkats who held Timon's eye, but neither ended up with him. * Buzz is another Meerkat who failed to make it to the film. It often thought that he is Timon's father, but that is false. Trivia * The meerkats in The Lion King universe are anthropomorphic as they walk on two legs when meerkats can only stand on two legs. * The tails of the meerkats in The Lion King stay rigid while a real meerkat's tail is flexible. * The Selfish Meerkat in One Meerkat too Many is the only meerkat in The Lion King universe thus far to have whiskers. * In the "Circle of Life" sequence, the meerkats look different than the meerkats seen in other parts of the movie. Quotes Gallery of Real Meerkats Babymeerkat.jpg|A baby meerkat Meerkat2.jpg|A male meerkat Meerkat3.jpg|A female meerkat meerkatfamily.jpg|A Meerkat Family Gallery of Meerkats from the Films TimonGrubs.jpg|Timon, a male meerkat in The Lion King TSP.png|Timon in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride Uncle_Max.jpg|Uncle Max, a male meerkat in The Lion King 1½ Ma.png|Ma, a female meerkat in The Lion King 1½ Meerkat Child.jpg|A random Meerkat child in The Lion King 1½ Iron Joe Info Box.png|Iron Joe, an old male meerkat in The Lion King 1½ Category:Animals Category:Meerkats